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Up bright and early to catch the 5.45 bus to Liberia, the first leg on our journey to San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua. Joining us at the bus stop were Nigaraguan construction workers on their way home and Kate, a lovely young girl from Vancouver who we first met in La Fortuna. We bumped into her again at the beach in Tamarindo, she intended travelling to meet friends in Nica, so we agreed to leave at the same time.
About 2 hours on a packed chicken bus to Liberia then change to another heading to Penas Blancas on the Costa Rican side of the border. Except for the fact that our backpacks were taking up a seat and so many locals were standing, it was a relatively smooth journey. Eileen just pretended she was sleeping so she didn't have to watch them glare at the bags.
The border crossing was something else, lots of locals gathering round offering help, transport, change of currency, or food, all wanting money from you, of course.
Filled in the appropriate forms, then Eileen and Kate jumped on a cart to cross No Mans Land to the Nicaraguan side. Agreed a price, par for the
course, 1 dollar!!!!, decided to be generous and gave him 2,
he wanted 3!!!! Sing for it, Pal !!!!!
Even more confusion at the Nicaraguan end, nothing to indicate where to go or what to do, figured it out eventually.
Filled out another form, waited in a queue, handed over 7 dollars each then tried to find the bus heading for Rivas.
Needed to fork out another dollar before they would let us through a gate to the bus station.
In actual fact the border crossing was easy, it only seemed difficult due to a lack of clear information.
The border town in Nicaraguan seemed to be a melee of noise, activity and confusion. A bus for Rivas was sitting, everyone it seems was shouting, pointing, and offering help with boarding the ancient American yellow school bus, except for taxi drivers pestering us for business.
Apparently, the only thing this bus wasn't carrying, was chickens!!! It was packed with locals, most of them eating, and sellers walking along the aisle peddling their wares. Baskets and bags of vegetables were piled high at the rear, and all sorts, including bikes were on top of the
bus. It was steamy and hot inside, also flies to contend with.
Loved it!!!!!! all for 50 pence.
Wasn't necessary to travel all the way to Rivas, we wanted to hop off at La Virgen then wait for another bus to San Juan Del Sur. There was no danger that we would miss our stop, a chorus of shouts greeted us as it approached, people started helping us get our backpacks off the coach. After a few waves it disappeared northwards and we were left waiting at a road junction with some goats and chickens.
Waiting for our last bus we turned down a few taxis, then a guy stopped to offer us a free ride to his hometown of San Juan Del Sur.
Arrived at midday, now all we have to do is find suitable accommodation.
Found a brilliant little hotel called El Puerto for 23 dollars per night, 21 if you stay longer. Gertrude, a German lady keeps it immaculate. We spent quite a lot of time sitting on her rocking chairs accompanied with drinks observing local street life. One guy had a fish, which was so big that he couldn´t
close his car boot, he drove past with a giant fish´s head sticking out.
San Juan Del Sur is regarded as the countrys main seaside resort, famous for long sunsets, it has a wide sweeping beach between two headlands with a little port and a string of seafood restaurants.
Unfortunately an immense amount of natural debris washes up on the beach, just like Prestwick, so it isn´t great for sunbathing, however, a few miles north there are some pristine beaches. We took a 5 dollar shuttle to Playa Majagual to spend all day at this practically deserted stretch of sand. In season turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on this beach.
This little town has a good vibe, families seem to spend most of their time living at the entrance of their brightly painted houses, it means you get a good look inside, it´s obvious that they love rocking chairs.
We passed a Barberia sign,and I needed a haircut, next thing I know this old guy has me sitting in an old barbers chair in his front room scaring me with his electic clippers. Made the mistake of not agreeing
Early Evening Surfers
Beach at San Juan Del Sur a price, so when he finished butchering my hair, I had to fork out 100 Cordobas, a massive 2 pounds 90 pence. It sounds dead cheap but that is so overpriced for a crap haircut. The old codger saw me coming!!
Eileen has been slagging me ever since.
Found a couple of decent restaurants, one along the beachfront serving good Mahi Mahi and Marie´s Bar, both next to Henry´s Iguana Bar, which was advertising their birthday bash for the following Saturday night. Thought we would see what it was like, turned out a great night. We downed a few Flor De Cana rums and jelly shots alongside a mixture of Gringos, young locals, prostitutes, and a woman/guy in her/his seventies dancing away the night in short dress and heels, even treated us to Michael Jackson´s Moonwalk.
Never Too Old, Eh?
Sunday night was "Bikini Contest"
Eileen didn't enter.
Our next destination involves another 4 legs of transportion, first one was meant to be the early morning chicken bus but we managed to arrange a Collectivo Taxi to Rivas with a two locals, 40 Cordobas each.
After this we
Transport to the Border
Eileen and Kate on a Central American Limo paid more for an ordinary taxi for a shorter journey to the nearby port of San Jorge to catch the ferry to the Isla De Ometepe, an island formed by two volcanoes in Lago De Nigaragua, the largest freshwater lake in Central America, and home to aggressive Bull Sharks.
Knew when we docked on the western end of the island we would have to catch a 20 dollar taxi to Playa Santo Domingo on the opposite side, so wondered if we could share with someone. Two Swedish guys waiting for the ferry had the same idea, great!!!!
In fact, we ended up staying in the same accommodation.
Daniel, our taxi driver who never stopped talking, took us to a few hotels before Eileen negotiated for a lovely stone cabana down from 45 dollars to 30 per night at Las Kabanas.
Ometepe is a real underdeveloped island dotted with little coastal settlements underneath one of two volcanoes, dormant Volcan Maderas or active Volcan Concepcion.
Our hotel is next to the beach, a stretch of black volcanic sand, surrounded by forest, however we didn´t realise that it would be full of white gnats and other
insects, worse still Eileen got stung!!!!
Never mind, according to the guidebooks they serve good grub at their restaurants.
Not any we went to!!!
Worst food yet!!!
Rene and Li Nhi, our new Swedish friends hiked to the top of Volcan Maderas, we intended to cycle round part of the island, couldn´t get a suitable bike for Eileen, so we went for a long walk along the beach looking out for wildlife.
Later those two fit looking guys returned knackered, that put paid to our idea of maybe doing it the following day.
Locals are finding novel ways to disturb us, woken at 5.30 with clatters on our rooftop, thought it was monkeys or a big bird like the one from Sesame Street. Eileen looked out, only to see the security guy climbing down off our slates with a supply of mangoes, which he had plucked from the large tree above our Cabana.
Wanted to visit San Ramon Waterfall but decided instead to cut short our stay on the island. Made arrangements to leave with Rene and Ni Lhi who were heading south to Costa Rica, we are travelling north to Granada, the oldest Spanish
Colonial city in Central America.
Isla De Ometepe is a beautiful unspoilt island, unfortunately, we never experienced the best of it.
As Dr Johnson said in the 18th century about the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland,
" Worth seeing, yes, but not worth going to see !!"
However, we're glad we didn't give it a miss !!!
Just received info that our apartment construction in Turkey has been completed, looking forward to visiting and having our first drink on the balcony.
Note - Feb 2010 Check out our new apartment in Bodrum
www.facebook.com/pages/Turkey-Bodrum-Apartment-to-Rent/305518600785
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Chris
non-member comment
We're staying in Lido key, went to the world famous tiki hut on the beach, don't know if I remeber correctly but think last time we were here we tried to find it and couldn't. Thinking of you a lot round here cos everywhere we go i remember being here with you and mum. Central america's sounding fun, you're obvioulsy much better than me and Mhairi at haggling, we would probably have been robbed by now! Giant's causeway is beautiful, but some drive up there, but obviously not as far as you've just travelled! Keep having fun, not long now till you're back in the homeland - see you there. Christopher x